'Most children with cancer deprived of treatment'

Leading cancer specialists from home and abroad said this at a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday on the eve of the 3rd International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Asia Conference in Dhaka.

"There is a cure and effective therapy for childhood cancer. If most of the people developing cancer are able to detect their illness early and avail treatment they can survive. This is the massage we are trying to give to parents although we know cancer treatment is expensive and often involves high tech," said Professor Tim Eden, president-elect, SIOP.

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About 300 experts including 80 foreign cancer specialists will take part in the three-day conference with a view to sharing their thoughts and expertise on how to improve the existing detection and treatment protocols for approximately 250,000 children throughout the world who are diagnosed with cancer every year.

Professor Jon Pritard, a leading oncologist from Royal Hospital of Children in the UK, said, "We are here to build partnership to find ways of improving cancer therapy and share new technologies and it is important to know that without partnership we cannot improve cancer treatment worldwide."

SIOP, launched in 1969, represents childhood cancer organisations from 120 countries and has 1200 members. The first two conferences of SIOP were held in Singapore City and New Delhi.

The press conference was also addressed by Salma Choudhury, chairperson of ASHIC Foundation for Childhood Cancer, and Professor Saiful Islam, secretary of the organising committee of 3rd SIOP Asia Conference.